Miyamoto Mayumi's sudden transformation was too stark!

Those who had just pleaded for her were all stunned.

They looked at her in disbelief.

The current Miyamoto Mayumi possessed an entirely different aura compared to before.

If she had seemed like a lotus in a misty haze moments ago—pure, beautiful, and pitiably delicate—now she was like a water snake that had suddenly burst from beneath the surface, baring venomous fangs ready to claim a life!

She concentrated all her strength into her hands, channeling it into the wooden sword she held. A fierce battle intent blazed in her eyes, which were fixed on Qin Heng, her intense focus never faltering.

"So it was her who provoked us, insulted us, and tried to make us get off the boat! Are all Japanese people this hypocritical?"

"Damn! I actually wanted to plead for her just now! Looks like my mom was right—the prettier the woman, the more deceitful she is!"

"So disgusting! Clearly a venomous snake, yet she disguised herself as an innocent white lotus!"

Having discovered the truth, no matter how cute Miyamoto Mayumi appeared, people didn't hesitate to show their disgust for her.

Qu Linglong, however, inexplicably let out a sigh of relief, though she herself wasn't quite sure why.

Looking at the wooden sword in Miyamoto Mayumi's hand, she said to Qin Heng with some concern, "Be careful. That wooden sword probably isn't ordinary wood; its true power might not be inferior to a real sword."

"This young lady has sharp eyes," Miyamoto Mayumi glanced at Qu Linglong with a smile. "This sword is made of ironwood and has been polished by a master. Although it's a wooden sword, it is still sharp. If it were to strike your smooth, jade-like neck, it could behead you on the spot!"

"You!?" Qu Linglong, an ordinary girl who had never been exposed to the world of Martial Dao, turned deathly pale upon hearing Miyamoto Mayumi's words.

"Shut up!" Qin Heng stepped forward to shield Qu Linglong, his gaze coldly fixed on Miyamoto Mayumi, and said sternly, "You're looking for death!"

"Aren't you even brave enough to state your name?" Miyamoto Mayumi retorted, not to be outdone. She twirled the wooden sword in her hand and laughed. "In Japan, men never flee from a woman's challenge. Are you trying to be a coward?"

"You are not worthy to know my name." Qin Heng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, like a towering Heavenly God looking down upon Miyamoto Mayumi. "Too weak. You're far too weak. You're not even qualified to make me make a move!"

"Tch!"

Miyamoto Mayumi let out a light chuckle.

She shook her head scornfully and then, with a sudden exertion of force from her legs—BANG!—she shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bowstring, instantly covering seven or eight meters to appear right before Qin Heng!

Simultaneously, she raised the wooden sword in her hand and swung it directly at Qin Heng's arm!

"Since you don't dare to make a move, what's the use of keeping those hands? Might as well let me sever them for you, coward!" Miyamoto Mayumi exclaimed fiercely.

SWISH!

The sound of the wooden sword slicing through the air rang out. Her strike, riding the strong winds of the Huangpu River, still created a sound as it cut through the air—a feat utterly inconceivable to ordinary people!

Even more astonishingly, it left behind a white trail of airflow, giving the wooden sword an aura of light, as if it were the legendary Sword Qi, striking awe into the hearts of onlookers!

"Heavens! Her sword is faster than the wind!? Unbelievable, and she's just a delicate young girl!"

"What did I just see? Does Martial Dao truly exist in this world? That sword speed... it's over! This young man is done for!"

The bystanders exclaimed in shock.

Some even closed their eyes, unable to bear watching any further.

In the eyes of many, Qin Heng's arm was doomed, sure to be severed by this Japanese girl named Miyamoto Mayumi.

Such a pity! So young and about to lose an arm, truly lamentable!

Qu Linglong also turned pale with fright and cried out, "No!"

In her desperation, she acted without thinking, rushing towards Miyamoto Mayumi, hoping to use her own strength to knock her down and save Qin Heng.

WHOOSH!

Just then, Qin Heng suddenly exhaled!

He was facing directly into the strong winds of the Huangpu River.

The breath he released was against the wind!

BOOM!

A sound like thunder exploded. In an instant, the breath Qin Heng exhaled collided with the strong winds of the Huangpu River. The forces were evenly matched, churning violently upon impact!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The strong winds of the Huangpu River were partially reversed by Qin Heng's breath, forming a small tornado about three to four meters high, which directly shattered the deck of the cruise ship with its tremendous force!

Miyamoto Mayumi's expression changed drastically. The wooden sword in her hand, caught in the tornado's sweep, seemed like a mere straw and was instantly overwhelmed. The sliver of Sword Qi she had mustered with all her strength was no match for it and immediately dissipated.

Even she herself was flung out like a ragdoll, hurled upside down through the air, spun around by the tornado, and thrown off the deck onto the surface of the Huangpu River.

I was actually... blown away by his breath!? Miyamoto Mayumi could feel herself being buffeted through the air by the wind. Her wooden sword had snapped. I'm as helpless as a girl with no strength at all, completely unable to do anything!

Every bone in her body felt as if it were about to break, and her internal organs throbbed with excruciating pain. A mouthful of blood spurted from her lips!

The arm with which she had wielded her sword was twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly broken.

An unprecedented sense of powerlessness surged through her heart, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long, long time.

An eighteen-year-old Middle-grade Samurai, a Sword Dao prodigy from Japan, the future hope of Martial Dao! And yet, I was blown away by a single breath! Severely injured by that blast! Why! Why is this happening!?

Miyamoto Mayumi felt like she was going insane. She had never encountered someone so overwhelmingly powerful!

So strong! How can he be this strong!? Who exactly is this person? Even a Top-grade Samurai couldn't blow me away with a single breath! He's too powerful!!

At the same time, she felt herself falling.

The wind's force had dissipated. As the wind's force dissipated, she began to fall under the pull of gravity.

SPLASH!

She plunged into the cold waters of the Huangpu River.

Although it was summer, the waters of the Huangpu River were not warm; they remained at a chilling single-digit temperature!

If an ordinary person fell in, they might suffer muscle cramps instantly, become unable to move, and subsequently drown.

However, Miyamoto Mayumi was a Middle-grade Samurai, with power equivalent to a practitioner of Hidden Force. She merely shivered upon hitting the water and immediately decided to dive and swim away to escape.

Finally, she cast one last glance back at Qin Heng on the cruise ship.

I will definitely return! Then, I will defeat you fair and square and learn your name!

「...」

Aboard the cruise ship, everyone was dumbfounded.

Qin Heng had just reversed the strong winds of the Huangpu River with a single breath, forming a small tornado!!?

Is this guy even human?

Even if it was only a partial reversal of the wind, it was still beyond human capability!

Incredible!

Too incredible!!

Qin Heng ignored the astonished gazes of the crowd and walked over to Qu Linglong, smiling as he said, "Linglong, thank you for your concern just now."

He truly hadn't expected that, under such circumstances, Qu Linglong would rush over to save him.

"You've saved me several times." Qu Linglong lowered her head, her cheeks flushing red, as she said softly, "It's only right for me to save you once... even though..."

"Alright." Qin Heng gently pressed his finger to Qu Linglong's flushed lips, stopping her from continuing. He then looked around and said, "We probably can't stay on this cruise ship any longer. I'll take you to my private cruise; we'll have more freedom there."

Qin Heng's display of world-shaking power would undoubtedly cause a huge stir if they remained, preventing them from enjoying themselves freely.

They had to move to the private cruise.

There, it would be just the two of them, and many things would be more convenient.